1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a travel headrest and more particularly to a travel headrest intended to be used by a person sitting in a high-backed seat, for example an aircraft seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for a headrest for supporting the head of a user while the user is seated in a high-backed seat and is in a relaxed, dozy or even sleeping condition has been previously recognized and various head supports have been proposed for this purpose.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,264, issued Dec. 2, 1980 to Agnita Britzman, discloses a horseshoe-shaped pillow support having spaced-apart legs projecting forwardly from a horseshoe return, the pillow support being inflatable by air so that, on inflation, three extremities of the legs swing inwardly towards one another to be in contact with one another. In use, this pillow support is arranged around the neck of a user and rests on the user's shoulders. This prior pillow support is particularly useful when worn around the neck of a sunbather, in which case the pillow support may be employed for elevating the sunbathers head to a desired inclination or for reading or for otherwise observing the surrounding scenery while the sunbather is lying on his back. However, if used in a high-backed seat, this prior pillow support has the disadvantage that since, it will rest on the user's shoulders, it will support only a very limited area of the side of the user's face and head.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,611 issued Apr. 27, 1993 to Frederick O. Stevens, there is disclosed a head support pillow having a base portion against which the user rests his or her head and a lateral support portion which supports the user's head to resist rotation of the user's head about the axis of the user's neck. This lateral support portion, in use, rests on the user's shoulder and against the back of a seat, and extends upwardly from the user's shoulder over a portion of the height of the user's head, which rests against the base portion. A second embodiment shown on this prior patent has two spaced lateral support portions on opposite side of the base portion. While the lateral support portions are recessed for partly accommodating the user's head and thereby resisting relative movement between the pillow and the user's head, the or each lateral support portion is connected along its entire height to the base portion, which extends behind the user's head and consequently will be restrained by the base portion from being tucked beneath the user's chin.